Welcome to the latest installment of the UnWrest Focus series looking at WarGames! When we last left off, Dusty's team had once against vanquished the villainous Four Horsemen. But now, it's 1989. And things are a lot different. Dusty, Tully, Arn, and Barry were all in WWF around this time. And this year, once again at The Great American Bash, we have multiple teams teaming up into two teams. Dr. Death, the lone solo act in this match, is teaming with The Midnight Express and The Road Warriors to face The Fabulous Freebirds and The Samoan Swat Team. This should be... interesting.
Let's do this!
WarGames
The Great American Bash '89 (7/23/1989)
The Road Warriors, Dr. Death, and The Midnight Express vs. The Samoan Swat Team and The Fabulous Freebirds
Paul Ellering and Jim Cornette are talking strategy in their team's corner. Paul E. Dangerously is talking over strategy with his team ("If I may throw another volley at you, sir!") Gorgeous Jimmy Garvin starts it off for The Freebirds/Samoans. Beautiful Bobby Eaton will start it for the Warriors/Express Team.
Tie up. Strikes by both men. Another tie up. Knees into the midsection by Garvin. Another strike by Eaton. Irish whips by both men. Garvin gets Eaton with a right hand. Atomic drop by Eaton. Kick to the face for his troubles. Eaton is sent face first into the cage, and he lands awkwardly coming down between the ropes and the cage. Stomps by Garvin. They continue to brawl as Eaton gets a big right hand. Eaton uses the roof of the cage to kick Garvin and hip tosses him over. Elbow by Eaton. Snapmare. Running forearm by Garvin. Eaton fights the cage off of his face as Garvin presses the attack. Hayes calls Eaton "scum" from outside the cage. Backbreaker by Eaton. Fists by Eaton and another backbreaker. 1 minute left in the period. Eaton turns Garvin over into the Boston Crab. (This was undoubtedly the most boring opening period I've seen in WarGames so far and maybe ever. We'll see how this evolves here.)
The Freebirds' Team sends in Terry Gordy. Eaton fights Gordy off, but Gordy gets the advantage and again sends Eaton shoulder first into the cage. Dangerously is cutting a promo to the camera guy, holding the gimmick phone that made him hated. "Shut your mouth before I stick my foot right down your throat, you Baltimore puke. DOOT DOOT DOOT."- Michael Hayes. Ok. He said it without the doots, but Bruce Prichard has conditioned all of us listeners to impersonate Hayes with that. The Freebirds continue to attack Eaton in the other ring now. Double back elbow. Double team continues. Eaton smacks the cage face first.
HERE COMES DR. DEATH!!! DOUBLE CLOTHESLINE! Good pop from the crowd. Gordy and Williams are in another ring now. WILLIAMS PRESSES GORDY 8 TIMES, HIS BACK BOUNCING OFF THE CAGE, AND THEN DROPS HIM. (The cage part probably didn't hurt. BUT Williams showed unbelievable strength to press the large Gordy like that and then slam him.) 1 minute remains. Gordy chokes at Eaton between the rings. Gordy clotheslines Williams. Eaton and Garvin continue to brawl between the two rings. Williams gets Gordy with a clothesline.
Here comes SAMU of the Samoans. Big spinning kick and splash by Samu. The heels take the advantage. Gordy hits a big back suplex on Williams. Garvin now rips at the face of Eaton. Williams shoulder tackles Gordy down. Garvin and Gordy double team Williams with a suplex. Eaton tries to fight off the heels. Williams and Eaton continue to struggle against these guys.
ANIMAL IS IN!!!! He goes nuts on these guys. Big Clothesline x2 on Gordy. Samue and Animal now. Two big boots by Animal to Samu! ANIMAL RUNS ACROSS THE RING, DIVES OVER THE ROPES, AND NAILS A FLYING SHOULDER TACKLE ON SAMU! The faces now have the advantage. Double clothesline by Williams and Animal on Garvin. Hayes on the outside to Fatu: "KILL! KILL! KILL!!! EAT! EAT! EAT! (I can't help myself now... DOOT! DOOT! DOOT!)" Gordy gets double-teamed by Eaton and Animal.
Here comes Fatu! Fatu goes to work on Animal. Double headbutts by the Samoans on Animal. Double clothesline by them now to Animal. Animal being stomped. The crowd is going nuts. Ellering and Cornette are talking to Stan Lane. Garvin continues to work on Eaton's face! Eaton hits him in the kidneys to get him off of him.
HERE COMES STAN LANE! Lane sends the Samoans into the cage at the same time and does the same to Gordy. Garvin eats the steel too. Fatu again eats the steel. Dangerously and Hayes talk strategy on the outside of the cage. Dr. Death and Gordy continue to fight each other. Animal clotheslines one of the Samoans in the corner. The Samoans double-team Animal.
Here comes Michael P.S. Hayes! Badstreet USA has come to WarGames. DDTs going around by Hayes to all the good guys. Hayes goes into the empty ring starts taunting Hawk and the crowd. The Samoans come in the ring to work on Animal while Hayes goes back with The Freebirds to work on the other wrestlers. Big clothesline by Gordy to Williams. Big jab by Hayes to Eaton.
HERE COMES HAWK!!!! WHAT A RUSH!!!! FIRST MOVE IN IS A FLYING DOUBLE CLOTHESLINE TO THE SAMOANS! Hayes gets a clotheslines. Now he's in the other ring and unloads with forearms and chops to Gordy. Williams and Hawk double-clothesline Gordy!Hawk now has Garvin. Garvin gets launched like a long dart into the top turnbuckle. DDT by Eaton on Hayes. Now he gives one to one of the Samoans. HAWK NOW HITS HIS OWN RUNNING SHOULDER TACKLE FROM ONE RING TO ANOTHER ONTO SAMU. Hayes gets thrown into the cage. Dangerously can't get the phone into the cage for the Samoans to use. Carnage continues to unfold here. Massive brawling all around the cage. GARVIN IS NAILED WITH A FLYING CLOTHESLINE BY HAWK!Neckbreaker on Garvin. HANGMAN'S NECKBREAKER ON GARVIN BY HAWK! HE LITERALLY HAS GARVIN HANGING ON HIS BACK! THE REFEREE CALLS FOR THE BELL!
Winners: The Road Warriors, The Midnight Express, and Dr. Death Steve Williams
Match Grade: B. The first five minutes of the match were some of the most boring I've seen in WarGames, but after that, the match continued to escalate and get better with time. The drama of this match continued to build up repeatedly. The one thing that to me elevates this match above the second WarGames is that the Road Warriors and Dr. Death raised the quality of the match with their performances. They were the veterans of this match, and it showed in what they did to hype up the crowd.
WarGames Ranked (Thus Far)
1. WarGames 1988- Horsemen vs. Dusty's Team
2. WarGames I (1987)- The Four Horsemen vs. The Dream Team
3. WarGames 1989- Road Warriors/ Midnight Express/Dr.Death vs. Freebirds/Samoans
4. WarGames II (1987)- The Four Horsemen vs. The Superpowers
_ _ _ _
Next time on UnWrest Focus WarGames Edition, we will look at the match featuring the reformed Four Horsemen (Sid, Barry Windham, Ric Flair) and Larry Zbysko versus Sting, The Steiners, and Flyin' Brian Pillman. You just know this one is going to be good.
Until then, take care of yourselves and spread some awesomeness.
Let's do this!
WarGames
The Great American Bash '89 (7/23/1989)
The Road Warriors, Dr. Death, and The Midnight Express vs. The Samoan Swat Team and The Fabulous Freebirds
Paul Ellering and Jim Cornette are talking strategy in their team's corner. Paul E. Dangerously is talking over strategy with his team ("If I may throw another volley at you, sir!") Gorgeous Jimmy Garvin starts it off for The Freebirds/Samoans. Beautiful Bobby Eaton will start it for the Warriors/Express Team.
Tie up. Strikes by both men. Another tie up. Knees into the midsection by Garvin. Another strike by Eaton. Irish whips by both men. Garvin gets Eaton with a right hand. Atomic drop by Eaton. Kick to the face for his troubles. Eaton is sent face first into the cage, and he lands awkwardly coming down between the ropes and the cage. Stomps by Garvin. They continue to brawl as Eaton gets a big right hand. Eaton uses the roof of the cage to kick Garvin and hip tosses him over. Elbow by Eaton. Snapmare. Running forearm by Garvin. Eaton fights the cage off of his face as Garvin presses the attack. Hayes calls Eaton "scum" from outside the cage. Backbreaker by Eaton. Fists by Eaton and another backbreaker. 1 minute left in the period. Eaton turns Garvin over into the Boston Crab. (This was undoubtedly the most boring opening period I've seen in WarGames so far and maybe ever. We'll see how this evolves here.)
The Freebirds' Team sends in Terry Gordy. Eaton fights Gordy off, but Gordy gets the advantage and again sends Eaton shoulder first into the cage. Dangerously is cutting a promo to the camera guy, holding the gimmick phone that made him hated. "Shut your mouth before I stick my foot right down your throat, you Baltimore puke. DOOT DOOT DOOT."- Michael Hayes. Ok. He said it without the doots, but Bruce Prichard has conditioned all of us listeners to impersonate Hayes with that. The Freebirds continue to attack Eaton in the other ring now. Double back elbow. Double team continues. Eaton smacks the cage face first.
HERE COMES DR. DEATH!!! DOUBLE CLOTHESLINE! Good pop from the crowd. Gordy and Williams are in another ring now. WILLIAMS PRESSES GORDY 8 TIMES, HIS BACK BOUNCING OFF THE CAGE, AND THEN DROPS HIM. (The cage part probably didn't hurt. BUT Williams showed unbelievable strength to press the large Gordy like that and then slam him.) 1 minute remains. Gordy chokes at Eaton between the rings. Gordy clotheslines Williams. Eaton and Garvin continue to brawl between the two rings. Williams gets Gordy with a clothesline.
Here comes SAMU of the Samoans. Big spinning kick and splash by Samu. The heels take the advantage. Gordy hits a big back suplex on Williams. Garvin now rips at the face of Eaton. Williams shoulder tackles Gordy down. Garvin and Gordy double team Williams with a suplex. Eaton tries to fight off the heels. Williams and Eaton continue to struggle against these guys.
ANIMAL IS IN!!!! He goes nuts on these guys. Big Clothesline x2 on Gordy. Samue and Animal now. Two big boots by Animal to Samu! ANIMAL RUNS ACROSS THE RING, DIVES OVER THE ROPES, AND NAILS A FLYING SHOULDER TACKLE ON SAMU! The faces now have the advantage. Double clothesline by Williams and Animal on Garvin. Hayes on the outside to Fatu: "KILL! KILL! KILL!!! EAT! EAT! EAT! (I can't help myself now... DOOT! DOOT! DOOT!)" Gordy gets double-teamed by Eaton and Animal.
Here comes Fatu! Fatu goes to work on Animal. Double headbutts by the Samoans on Animal. Double clothesline by them now to Animal. Animal being stomped. The crowd is going nuts. Ellering and Cornette are talking to Stan Lane. Garvin continues to work on Eaton's face! Eaton hits him in the kidneys to get him off of him.
HERE COMES STAN LANE! Lane sends the Samoans into the cage at the same time and does the same to Gordy. Garvin eats the steel too. Fatu again eats the steel. Dangerously and Hayes talk strategy on the outside of the cage. Dr. Death and Gordy continue to fight each other. Animal clotheslines one of the Samoans in the corner. The Samoans double-team Animal.
Here comes Michael P.S. Hayes! Badstreet USA has come to WarGames. DDTs going around by Hayes to all the good guys. Hayes goes into the empty ring starts taunting Hawk and the crowd. The Samoans come in the ring to work on Animal while Hayes goes back with The Freebirds to work on the other wrestlers. Big clothesline by Gordy to Williams. Big jab by Hayes to Eaton.
HERE COMES HAWK!!!! WHAT A RUSH!!!! FIRST MOVE IN IS A FLYING DOUBLE CLOTHESLINE TO THE SAMOANS! Hayes gets a clotheslines. Now he's in the other ring and unloads with forearms and chops to Gordy. Williams and Hawk double-clothesline Gordy!Hawk now has Garvin. Garvin gets launched like a long dart into the top turnbuckle. DDT by Eaton on Hayes. Now he gives one to one of the Samoans. HAWK NOW HITS HIS OWN RUNNING SHOULDER TACKLE FROM ONE RING TO ANOTHER ONTO SAMU. Hayes gets thrown into the cage. Dangerously can't get the phone into the cage for the Samoans to use. Carnage continues to unfold here. Massive brawling all around the cage. GARVIN IS NAILED WITH A FLYING CLOTHESLINE BY HAWK!Neckbreaker on Garvin. HANGMAN'S NECKBREAKER ON GARVIN BY HAWK! HE LITERALLY HAS GARVIN HANGING ON HIS BACK! THE REFEREE CALLS FOR THE BELL!
Winners: The Road Warriors, The Midnight Express, and Dr. Death Steve Williams
Match Grade: B. The first five minutes of the match were some of the most boring I've seen in WarGames, but after that, the match continued to escalate and get better with time. The drama of this match continued to build up repeatedly. The one thing that to me elevates this match above the second WarGames is that the Road Warriors and Dr. Death raised the quality of the match with their performances. They were the veterans of this match, and it showed in what they did to hype up the crowd.
WarGames Ranked (Thus Far)
1. WarGames 1988- Horsemen vs. Dusty's Team
2. WarGames I (1987)- The Four Horsemen vs. The Dream Team
3. WarGames 1989- Road Warriors/ Midnight Express/Dr.Death vs. Freebirds/Samoans
4. WarGames II (1987)- The Four Horsemen vs. The Superpowers
_ _ _ _
Next time on UnWrest Focus WarGames Edition, we will look at the match featuring the reformed Four Horsemen (Sid, Barry Windham, Ric Flair) and Larry Zbysko versus Sting, The Steiners, and Flyin' Brian Pillman. You just know this one is going to be good.
Until then, take care of yourselves and spread some awesomeness.
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